Oil well packing device



June 30', 1931. 5; MlNoR 1,812,358

OIL WELL PACKING DEVICE Filed March 8, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 30, 1931. s, MINOR 1,812,358

OIL WELL PACKING DEVICE Filed March 8, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June so, 1931 r 1,812,358

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application filed March 8, 1930. Serial No. 434,315.

This invention relates more specifically to after the well has been packed oil and the a device for efiecting a rapid and permanent Christmas tree attached; seal-ofl' between two strin s of oil well cas Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken through ing when tlie well is broug t in. Y the well packing device and a well hole show- In the drilling of oil wells and particularing the packing device as it appears during 5:.

ly the drilling in of wells after the oil drilling of awe-ll prior to packing off; string has been landed and cemented above Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the packing the producing strata, it has generally been device showing the well packed ofi? prior to the practice to drill through the cement plug connecting the Christmas tree; and into the producing sands with a tubing .Fig. 4.is a sectional View taken on line no of small diameter which is left in position 4-4of Fig. 3; I for the flow of oil therethrough. During this Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail section taken operation when the oil sands are penetrated on line 5-5 of Fig. 3. it is necessary to form a seal between the oil Referring by numerals to the accompany- 1'5 string and tubing in order to keep the well ing drawings, 1O designates a.usual control under control until the flow connection can head connected to a well casing or water he made. 7 string 12 which has been cemented above the Heretofore the weight of the drill tubing oil sands as indicated at 14. The oil sands has been relied upon to hold the packing in are reached by drilling through the cement the control head prior to connecting the plug by a bit 16 connected to a string of tub- Christmas tree thereto. However if any ing 18 which is left in place after the bit has appreciable degree of gas pressure builds up, penetrated the oil sands. the drill tubing will be raised and the packers After the bit has encountered the oil bearblown out before the Christmas tree can bev ing strata, it is necessary to eifect a seal or connected thereto. pack off as quickly as possible between the It is the chief object of this invention to tubing and water string. The usual proceprovide a device for holding the usual form dure is to place packing slips generally desof packing assembly in place in the control ignated at 20 in'the tapered bore'21 of the head against displacement by gas pressure control head and continue drilling until one so until the Christmas tree can be connected of the tubing couplings 22 will engage or to the control head. v rest on the upper face of the packing slips A further object is to provide a well packas shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the weight of the ing device that after a seaboif is effected tubing then being relied upon to hold the in a well it may be advantageously utilized slips in place until the Christmas tree 24 for controlling the well, and rendering it a Fi 1) may b connected m1 S R Y p matter to mstau a The above operation may be carried out Chrlstmas tree successfully. However, the gas pressure A .Stlu fmither Oblect Is to prolflde liven often builds up so rapidly that the tubing will packing device that Wlll render 1t possible be forced upwardly and the p g Slips m) to effect a Christmas tree and flow lines installation in an extremely economical man- 38:; g f- 2: 3,; fi ggfl i fizg g fig g fsg I a 1 b iit hl i t uibiifg t liz c igi iial sgt 33 off w th u derstood that the weight of the tubing Further objects and advantages will ap- 1S msufficlent to hold the Packers 111 Place 45 pear f th f ll i d i ti f after the gas pressure has developed to any ence being had to the acompanying drawings pp e a le egree. I wherein a single embodiment of the inv n- This invention resides 1 n means for holding tion is shown by way of example: the packlng slips in position in the control Fi 1 is a side elevation partly in section head against displacement by ga pressure showing the well packing deviceas it appears in the casing in order that drilling may be continued (if necessary) and the Christ-- mas tree attached to the control head without any danger from the gas pressure developed in the casing, and consists of a ring or annular member 30 mounted on and secured to the top flange 32 of the control head by a plurality of bolts 34, the flange having a pair of packing rings 35 engaged by the bottom face of the ring.

A plurality of radially disposed set screws 35 are mounted in the ring-and are provided with tapered points 37 adapted to engage the bevelled face 40 of the upper plate of the packing slips.- The packing slips consist of two segments or sections, each of which are composed of a section formed of resilient material designated at 41 interposed between the upper plate 40 and a lower plate 42 which are held in assembled relation by screws 44 extending through openings in the lower plate and expansible section and threaded into the upper plate.

lVhen conditions indicate that the bit has penetrated the oil sands, the packing slips are placed in the bore of the control head, and the set screws adjusted so that their tapered points engage the bevelled face of the upper plates of the packing slips as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Drilling may'then be continued without anydanger of displacement of the packing slips until one of the couplings 22 of the drill tube engages the upper face of the packing slips as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. After adjusting the set screws any leakage of fluid between the screw threads is prevented by nuts 46 mounted on the screws adapted to compress packing rings 48 mounted in suitable recesses 45 formed in the ring.

From the foregoing it will be seen that after adjusting the set screws the packing slipsare permanently held in place in the control head, thereby controlling the well until the Christmas tree? can be attached to the control head-as shown in Fig. 4. Before attaching the Christmas tree the length of tubing extending above the coupling resting on the packing slips, is unscrewed and removed. The Christmas tree is attached to the ring by removing the bolts 34 one at a time and replacing them with bolts 52 of sufficient lengthto extend through the openings in the casing flange 32, ring 30, and openings in the flange 54 of the Christmas tree coupling 56. I v I I claim:

1. An oil well packing device comprising time for connecting a Christmas tree to isaid member.

2. An oil well packing device comprising a control head and an annular member secured thereto, said annular member having a pluralityof screws adapted to engage packing slips placed in the control head to form a seal between the drill tubing and the well easing, said annular member secured to the control head by a plurality-of bolts and nuts adapted to be removed and replaced by longer bolts for connecting a Christmas tree thereto.

3. An oil well packing device comprising a casing having a control head secured to its upper end, a packing device mount-ed in said control head and forming a seal between the tubing and said head, means adapted to be bolted to said control head for holding the packing device in engagement therewith, said member having an outer annular recess, whereby when the member is bolted to the control-head the securing bolts can be removed and replaced by longer bolts one at a time when it is desired to attach 'a flow con-' trolling means thereto.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature.

BURT S. MINOR. 

